Luke Bryan on ‘American Idol': ‘It Makes Me a Better Artist’

American Idolis a new ballgame for Luke Bryan, but not only does he love being a judge, he also feels it's making him a better artist and more well-rounded person.

Speaking to Taste of Country and other media, Bryan is open about the fact that he enters opportunities like this "naively," but sees it as a learning process.

Between being on the road and devoting a significant amount of time for for his Idol duties, the singer says it can take a toll on his personal life. "With Idol, it is a strain on our family unit," he admits. "But the way you get through it is you communicate first."

Bryan has a rock in his wife Caroline, who he says is observant yet self-assured. She takes a step back to look at a situation, gather information and work through it to ensure that the ventures Bryan is taking on are worthwhile — a process that helped his decision in accepting the Idol gig. "The big question was, 'Am I going to enjoy it and love it?' And here in the early stages, I'm having a blast with it," he raves of the experience. "I'm loving every second of it."

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In addition to simply enjoying the process, the "Move" singer feels he's growing as a person, opening his eyes to all different kinds of people who help to shape his world view, and interacting with people of various nationalities and talents. "It makes me understand it's a big ol' world out there," he explains. "I think it makes me a better artist, makes me smarter as a person, it makes me understand society better — all walks of life."

And it's those contestants that showcase truly unique musical gifts that he clings to, revealing that he and fellow judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie actively look for singers who've endured struggles and go against the norm. "When you have the cocktail waitress that's been working four jobs to feed her kids, and she rolls in and sings Janis Joplin like she hadn't eaten in four weeks, that's who you want to hitch your wagon to," he says.